


Catch Clouds

by akiiteru



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Paramedic AU, haru is a bad patient, main pairing is makoharu, the reigisa is just background
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-02-05 17:40:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1826650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akiiteru/pseuds/akiiteru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto is a fretful paramedic.</p>
<p>Haruka is very unlucky.</p>
<p>Neither of them believe in fate, but throw in a decade-long rivalry and a lot of weird coincidences, and this unlikely duo might just make something work.</p>
<p>(But probably not.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge_
> 
> _You were sitting there holding a rope_
> 
> -Zach Sobiech, _Clouds_

Makoto wiped a towel across his forehead, sweating miserably in the heat. It was mid-July, and though he had just started his shift, the humidity in the air was almost unbearable. A few tiny fans were placed around as an attempt to cool down the overheated EMTs, but the effect they had wasn't perceptible.

Makoto was nearly thrown against the wall as the ambulance swerved suddenly. The driver cursed under his breath, glaring at the young woman driving the car who had cut him off. 

The EMT-Basic, a glasses-clad young man named Rei, sat down on the floor beside Makoto.

“You’d think that they would install a working air conditioner in here so we wouldn't die on duty,” he griped, pushing a lock of sweaty hair out of his eyes.

Makoto leaned his head back against the cool metal of the ambulance wall. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

“So, uh, how many car accident victims have you treated?” Rei asked. “Since we’re going to one right now.”

Makoto sighed. “A couple. Don’t get freaked out though, it’s probably not serious. All we need to do usually is check their vitals.”

It was silent for a few moments, save for the quiet hum of the fans and the Bruce Springsteen song playing on the stereo. Then Makoto's personal radio crackled to life, and a stern voice broke through the silence, giving a report on the accident that they were heading towards. 

The scene of the accident seemed, from the description given over the radio, rather serious. A car had passed over the median of a busy road and collided head-on with another. The car that had been hit was sent careening over a guard rail and flipped upside-down. 

“Sounds bad,” Makoto said softly, frowning. It was times like those that made him wonder why he became a paramedic in the first place. Sure, he liked helping people, but there was always a chance that he was too late and he knew that he wouldn't be able to handle that. All of his patients up to that point had survived; in fact, none of them were ever in very serious accidents. But Makoto had been out of training for two months, and the time had finally come when he questioned what he could do for the patient.

Rei, usually cool and level-headed no matter what was thrown at him, was pale-faced and hugging his knees. Makoto could only imagine how terrified _he_ looked.

Though it took only a handful of minutes to reach the accident, it seemed like an eternity. Makoto opened the doors of the ambulance and, with Rei's help, carried the stretcher out. They passed a hysterical young woman standing beside her sports car, presumably the one that had gone over the median. The front of the car was dented in, and both headlights had been shattered. 

A police officer directed Makoto and Rei to where the other car was. It was small, probably a hatchback, but it was so mangled that it was impossible to tell.

Makoto immediately caught sight of the person inside the car. He and Rei rushed over and wrenched the driver’s-side door open. With great caution, they pulled the person out. The victim was a young man around Makoto's age. He had pale, delicate features and was obviously handsome, even when unconscious. His black hair was stiff with dried blood.

Makoto watched him closely until the could see the slight rising and falling of his chest. A check of his wrist proved that he had a steady pulse. Makoto signaled to Rei that the victim was alive.

Makoto and Rei secured the man to the stretcher and carried him back to the ambulance. The driver of the sports car broke into loud sobs when she saw them pass. Makoto ignored her and hoisted the stretcher into the ambulance, immediately hooking the victim up to a heart rate monitor. 

“His breathing is irregular,” Rei reported, a hint of panic in his voice.

“Get a breathing mask on him,” Makoto responded sharply. Rei followed his instructions and strapped the mask to the man’s face.

It took a few moments for Makoto to regain his breath. In the rush, he had abandoned his nervousness, but it caught up to him once he was able to get back to reality. He tried to steady his own breathing while still monitoring the patient. 

Rei was scribbling out notes to give the doctor. “The patient is still unconscious,” he muttered, keeping a watchful eye on the heart rate monitor.

Makoto checked the man’s pockets for identification. He found a wallet and opened it up, revealing a driver’s license and credit card.

“His name is Nanase Haruka,” he said to Rei, who immediately wrote the name down.

By the time the ambulance came to a stop at the hospital, the patient’s condition was stable. Makoto and Rei took the stretcher into the emergency room. Rei handed his notes to the nurse and gave a full report on what they had done. Once the nurse read over the notes and took the stretcher, they rushed out of the room. In the hallway they nearly ran into the doctor, a red-haired man named Mikoshiba. He smiled and thanked them as he passed.

Makoto and Rei walked to the nurse’s station and began the pain-staking process of filling out paperwork. They had done it so often that they barely had to focus on what they were writing. Makoto noticed that Rei's handwriting was neat and readable, whereas his own was somewhat stereotypical “doctor’s handwriting.” He subconsciously started writing a bit more neatly.

“I hope that Nanase is all right,” Rei said quietly.

“He will be,” Makoto replied. “He probably has a concussion, and of course some scratches and bruises, but he’ll do fine.”

“You know, Rei,” he added after a moment, “you’re a really sweet person.”

Rei blushed and glanced towards the floor.

Makoto laughed gently. “Sorry if that was too forward. It was just an observation.”

They finished their paperwork shortly after, and moved on to their next assignment. Throughout the day, Makoto's mind kept wandering back to Haruka. He had no idea why, but something about the dark-haired man was incredibly intriguing. 

 

\- - -

 

“Makoto, pass the ketchup!” Nagisa yelled across the table, leaning over Rei to grab the bottle from Makoto. He proceeded to squirt an obscene amount of ketchup over his plate of french fries.

“Have some decency, Nagisa-kun!” Rei spluttered. This only made Nagisa burst into bubbly laughter and lean his head against Rei's shoulder.

Makoto laughed, causing Rei to blush even more. The three of them had met up at the hospital cafeteria during Makoto and Rei's lunch break (Nagisa worked the night shift at the front desk of a local hotel, and therefore was _always_ available to meet up during the day).

It had been a week since Makoto's encounter with Haruka. Makoto almost asked Mikoshiba about how he was doing, but deemed it inappropriate to do so.

“Hey, Makoto,” Nagisa said cheerfully, interrupting Makoto's thoughts. “I heard that Rin won his swimming competition. But his main rival was injured and couldn't compete.”

Nagisa frowned slightly. “I think Rin isn't happy about that. He doesn't like winning by default.”

Makoto nodded in agreement. He had been friends with Rin since high school, and he of all people knew how much of a fierce competitor the redhead was. 

“Apparently, Rin has been rivals with that guy since middle school,” Nagisa continued. “His name is Haruko, or Haruki, or something. It’s a girly name like ours. Anyway, I think-“

“Makoto,” Rei whispered urgently, interrupting Nagisa's rambling. The blond pouted, but listened in on what he had to say.

Rei glanced towards the cafeteria food line. “It’s Nanase-san.”

Makoto looked over and saw that Rei was correct. The dark-haired man was standing in the line, nearing the cashier. Though his back was to them, Makoto and Rei could tell that it was him. His left wrist was in a large cast.

Makoto found himself blushing, for some reason. He watched Haruka pay for his food, and suddenly he turned around and their eyes met. Makoto froze at the sight. Haruka's eyes were ice-blue and pierced through him, full of intensity though his face was completely blank.

Haruka approached Makoto's table slowly, tilting his head in mild confusion. 

“Do I know you?” he asked, coming to a stop beside the table.

“N-no, why do you ask?” Makoto stuttered, avoiding eye contact. Haruka's voice was deep and smooth, and it washed over Makoto like cool water.

“You were staring at me.”

Haruka's answer made Makoto's face burn. “Oh, uh, I was j-just…” He stumbled over his words and looked towards Rei as a silent plea for help.

“We treated you after your car accident,” Rei explained. “We’re EMTs.”

“Oh.” Haruka stood in silence for a moment. “Thank you, then.”

Makoto smiled apologetically. “Sorry if that was weird, I was just curious as to how you were doing. Are you here for a follow-up?”

Haruka nodded. 

Out of nowhere, Nagisa gave a cry of recognition. “Ooooh, you’re Haru-chan!”

Haruka made a face. “Don’t call me that.”

Nagisa completely ignored his reaction. “You’re a rival of Rin's! I had no idea you knew Rei and Makoto!”

Makoto gasped. “You know Rin?”

“Yeah, I know Matsuoka,” Haruka said nonchalantly. He pulled up a chair beside Makoto and placed his food tray on the table. “I couldn't race him the other day because of the accident.”

“Are you okay now?” Makoto asked, eyeing Haruka's cast.

Haruka shrugged. “I got a concussion, and I broke my wrist. The doctor says I can’t swim for another two weeks.”

“That’s terrible!” Nagisa cried, after shoving a handful of french fries into his mouth.

Haruka waved his hand dismissively. “I was in the pool earlier today.”

Rei's eyes widened in shock. “You’re ignoring the doctor’s orders?”

“Yeah.” Haruka gave no further explanation. Instead, he began eating the sliced mackerel he’d ordered.

 _He’s an interesting guy_ , Makoto thought to himself. He would have to remind himself to ask about Haruka the next time he saw Rin.

They finished their lunches in silence, besides the few times Rei chastised Nagisa for his eating habits and was only laughed off. 

“Thanks again,” Haruka muttered as he picked up his tray with one hand. “Oh, and what was your name again?”

“Makoto.”

“Okay. See you, Makoto.” Haruka walked away towards the trash bins.

Makoto watched him go, deep in thought. 

_What a strange person_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there isn't much of haruka in this chapter, sorry ;-; this is kind of a background story/establishing characters chapter.

Makoto lifted his head out of the water, breathing heavily. He pulled his goggles off and placed them on top of his kickboard on the side of the pool.

His sister, Ran, clapped excitedly. She was standing over him, holding a stopwatch. “Your time improved by a full second!”

“Thanks for timing me. I know it’s probably pretty boring,” Makoto said, smiling apologetically.

Ran shook her head. “No, no, it’s not a problem! I like watching you swim. But, refresh my memory, why are you doing this?”

Makoto shrugged. “I was thinking that I might want to join a team. I don’t want all of my high school practice to go to waste. Now that I’ve gotten into the hang of my job, I figured I’d have more recreational time. But I have to practice a lot if I want to make it onto the team. Since I took a break from swimming for so long, my skills aren’t as polished as they could be.”

“Oh, okay,” Ran replied. “Well, I think you’ll do great!”

Makoto smiled and thanked her. He was still unconfident about his time, but being reassured by his sister made him feel a bit better.

The person in the lane beside Makoto did a particularly vigorous flip turn, sending a wave of water toward him. Makoto turned to look at the other swimmer, who he had payed no mind to when he first entered the pool. Something about them seemed familiar. 

The swimmer was fast, _very_ fast, and Makoto had figured out who it was before they surfaced beside him.

“Hi, Rin!” Makoto said cheerfully.

Rin pushed his goggles up to his forehead and grinned widely. “Yo.”

He looked up and waved at Ran, who smiled back shyly. 

“How have you been?” Makoto asked. 

Rin turned back to him. “I’ve been great. Kicked some ass at the competition the other day. How about you?”

“I met Haruka Nanase.” 

Makoto’s comment was casual, offhanded, but Rin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is he doing all right?”

Makoto nodded. “He should be okay. I actually treated him, you know. He was in a pretty bad accident. I spoke to him the a couple days ago in the hospital.”

“Wow,” Rin muttered. “What did you talk to him about?”

“Mainly his treatment, but we also mentioned you. He seemed disappointed that he missed the race,” Makoto said, treading carefully. He knew that the two swimmers were rivals, and wasn’t sure what their exact feelings for each other were. Perhaps Rin didn’t particularly care for Nanase.

Makoto’s worries were dismissed with Rin’s reply.

“I was disappointed, too. He’s a great swimmer. He’s actually a nice guy when you get him to actually talk to you, but that’s difficult to do since he’s so detached from everyone else. The only way I can really understand him is through swimming.”

“I wish I could get to know him, too.” Makoto smiled brightly. “He seems really interesting.”

Rin nodded in agreement. “He hasn’t changed at all since we first met, but I’m always learning new things about him. Makes me feel like quite the open book. Anyway, how’s the rest of your life?”

“Ren and Ran went to nationals with their swim team,” Makoto said proudly. “They got second.”

Rin’s mouth dropped open. “Holy shit, really? That’s awesome!” He flashed a thumbs-up at Ran, who thanked him modestly.

“How’s Kou?” Makoto asked. “I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”

“She’s doing well. Started dating some rich guy. She won’t stop talking about how _charming_ and _smart_ he is.” There was a hint of bitterness in Rin’s tone. “I’m not sure how much I like him. But if Kou likes him, I guess I can learn to like him too.”

“You’re too protective of her,” Makoto chided. “She’s an adult, she can take care of herself.”

Rin laughed. “Says the guy who acted like my _mom_ throughout high school. Remember how you used to keep a comb in your pocket because Nagisa never bothered to brush his hair?”

“There was nothing wrong with that,” Makoto asserted, though a bit embarrassed. “Besides, this is different. I hate to say it, but you and I both know that Kou is a lot more responsible with her life than _Nagisa_ is.”

“That’s true,” Rin said with a chuckle. 

He turned to look at the clock on the wall behind him. “I’ve gotta keep swimming now, since I have a new training regimen. It was really good to see you again! Tell Nagisa and Rei that I say hello.”

“I will. See you later!” Makoto replied. Rin slid his goggles back on and ducked his head under the water.

Makoto was starting to shiver from being in the cool water too long. He pulled himself up, over the side of the pool, and told Ran to meet him outside the locker rooms.

He made a beeline for the showers, still feeling a chill. He left his goggles and swim cap next to his bag, which was on the floor against the back wall of lockers. 

The hot shower water cascaded over his back and soothed his stinging muscles. Makoto sighed and let the cold get washed out of him, slowly but surely. He kept thinking back to Haruka, and the chill that he got from his icy stare. He was intrigued by the dark-haired man, and it embarrassed him to admit it.

 

\- - -

 

Makoto trudged into his apartment, absolutely exhausted from the day’s work. Rei had called in sick, and his replacement was an incompetent nineteen-year-old who asked a lot of questions and worked far too slowly for Makoto’s taste. 

He was seriously considering just going to sleep, but he was too worried about Rei and decided to call him instead. After all, Rei was very responsible and it was incredibly rare for him to not come to work. 

The phone rang twice before it was answered by a groggy “Hello?”

“Hey, Rei.” Makoto said softly. “Are you feeling okay?”

A pained groan was his only response. 

Makoto frowned. “I’ll take that as a ‘no.’”

“I’m sorry I missed work,” Rei mumbled. “I really should have come in, but-“

“Don’t apologize. You need to take care of yourself,” Makoto interjected. He tried to continue, but a loud crash from somewhere in Rei’s apartment interrupted him. 

Rei sighed loudly. “Nagisa is here, and he’s trying to cook something.”

“Oh.” Makoto cringed. The only things Nagisa could cook (that were edible, at least) were cookies and pastries, and even those were sugary to the point of inducing diabetes.

Suddenly, a yell of “REI-CHAAAAAN!” blasted from the phone receiver and was joined by Rei’s loud protesting. Makoto smirked at the childish way that Nagisa addressed Rei. The blond had stopped using ‘-chan’ by the time he got to college, but sometimes he slipped back into the habit when he was being particularly affectionate or wanted to annoy someone. 

Rei whispered something, sounding exasperated, and the phone was taken over by Nagisa.

“Hi, Makoto!”

The cheerful greeting made Makoto’s stress start to fade immediately. Rei was in capable (if not a bit irresponsible) hands. 

“I’ve got everything covered,” Nagisa continued. “He called me last night and he was _all worked up_ because he couldn’t sleep and he “needed enough rest in order to perform at his full capacity at work” or something dorky like that. So I came over and he turned out to be awfully sick, but he still tried to convince me to let him come to work this morning! Can you believe it? There’s nothing to worry about now, of course. My sister brought us some chicken soup, and I haven’t let him get out of bed.”

Makoto sighed in relief. “Thank you, Nagisa. Tell him that everything is going fine at work, and he should wait to come back until he’s ready.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t entirely truthful, either. Makoto was certainly looking forward to having Rei back. He considered himself to be a patient guy, but there was only so much time he could spend teaching barely-adults how to do their jobs. Especially with virtually no spare time to do it. Despite that, Rei’s well-being was the most important thing. 

Before he hung up, Makoto bid farewell to Rei and thanked Nagisa yet again for his help. He found himself completely sapped of all energy, too tired even to walk across the room to put the phone back. He left it on the arm of the couch instead and trudged the short distance to his bedroom. 

Rain began drumming on the roof, creating peaceful background noise that would surely help Makoto fall asleep. He credited the volume of the rain to fact that his apartment was on the top floor (a very fortunate fact indeed, since the complex had thin walls and could get very noisy on the more crowded lower floors).

The gentle sound of the rain was soothing. For the first time in what seemed like forever, sleep came easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the actual makoharu will begin soon, i promise
> 
> find me on tumblr  
> akiiteru.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka's POV! Hope you enjoy!

Haruka had been recovering from his injuries for nearly two weeks, but every once and a while a bad migraine came over him and he could barely function for a few hours. 

It was one of those days.

He was lying on the couch, with all of the lights in the house turned off and the blinds drawn. A glass of ginger ale sat, untouched, on the coffee table. Haruka felt too awful to even sit up and take a drink. Unfortunately for him, someone a few streets over was doing an enormous construction project. The harsh sound of a jackhammer against concrete seemed to reverberate around the room. Haruka groaned and pulled his blanket up over his head.

The construction stopped after a while, but it had already done its damage. 

After lying motionless in the dark for an hour and a half, Haruka finally had enough and decided to pick up his painkiller prescription, which he had been putting off for far too long. 

Somehow, he managed to drive the four kilometers to the pharmacy. It occurred to him that he shouldn’t be so reckless. 

The pharmacy was somewhat crowded, much to Haruka’s dismay. There was a line in front of the prescriptions counter. He tapped his foot impatiently while the man at the front of the line struggled to sign his receipt, trying pen after inkless pen to no avail. It was like the universe wanted Haruka to suffer.

When he finally got to the front of the line, he pulled out his ID and handed it to the pharmacist. He was asked a few questions, which he barely comprehended and answered in a mumble. When the pharmacist walked away to retrieve his prescription, Haruka leaned down and rested his forehead against the cool, smooth surface of the counter.

The ringing in his ears was slowly fading, making it easier to hear the impatient tapping of a pen from somewhere behind the counter. It wasn’t much of an improvement.

“Your prescription is ready, Nanase-san.”

Haruka lifted his head from the counter, ignoring the painful throbbing. He got his first good look at the pharmacist, a cheerful-looking young man with a name tag labeled “Aiichiro.” 

Haruka thanked him and took the medicine, shoving it in the pocket of his hoodie.

“This is all printed on the label, but I must remind you: take it as-needed, at four to six hour intervals. Don’t crush or break the pills in any way. Be careful not to take any more than directed on the label. Call your doctor and stop using immediately if you have any difficulty breathing or severe weakness. Do not drink or ingest alcohol…“

The pharmacist kept rambling on about the warnings. Haruka wasn’t intentionally tuning him out, but he was too exhausted for anything to process and he decided he’d just read the label thoroughly later on. 

Finally, Aiichiro stopped talking.

“Thanks,” Haruka mumbled.

“You’re quite welcome, Nanase-san!” Aiichiro replied. 

Haruka bought a candy bar and a can of green tea on his way out of the pharmacy. He finished the candy bar before he even made it to his car, but his stomach was still painfully empty.

He took a pill from the bottle and washed it down with tea. It had a metallic, overly-sweet taste, but it was tolerable. The pill was large and caught for a moment in his throat before finally making it down. Haruka coughed, then took another sip of tea.

He noted that there was a small family restaurant down the street. The parking lot was almost empty, so Haruka decided that it would be quiet enough. He walked, since it was close enough and if he was going to pass out from hunger and exhaustion, it would be better to do it on the sidewalk than behind the wheel of a car. 

He made it without collapsing, but just barely. The woman that led him to his table, who had a name tag labeled “Emiko” in blocky handwriting, looked slightly concerned.

The table was in the back of the restaurant, beside the picture windows overlooking a grove of cherry trees. He was the only person in that half of the restaurant.

“Your server will be right with you,” Emiko announced. She still looked a bit uncomfortable.

Haruka nodded dismissively. Emiko looked like she wanted to say something else, but a loud clatter came from somewhere across the dining room and she rushed off to help.

Haruka scanned the menu for anything to his liking. His headache was starting to subside, but his stomach kept growling impatiently.

“Hey! Nanase!” someone called out, making Haruka jump. He put down the menu and looked around in confusion. For a few moments, it seemed to have come from nowhere. But then a tall figure approaching from the entrance of the restaurant caught his eye.

It was the paramedic, Makoto. He was wearing an olive green button-up tucked into a pair of jeans, and he had a black messenger bag slung over one shoulder. Haruka caught himself staring at Makoto’s tanned forearms and his clean-shaven, chiseled jawline. 

Haruka had always been one to appreciate beautiful people. It never led to anything, of course. He just admired them for a while and moved on. Makoto, though, was an exquisite individual. His proportions were to die for, and Haruka wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to ogle him a bit.

Makoto sat down across the table from Haruka. “It seems like I’m running into you everywhere,” he said brightly.

“Yeah,” Haruka agreed. It really was quite the coincidence. If he was a believer of fate, he surely would have blamed their second meeting on it. But he was too smart to think it was anything but a fluke.

Makoto grinned, showing off his brilliant white teeth. 

Oh god, he had _dimples_. Haruka could barely stand it.

“So, Nanase,” Makoto began, “How-“

Haruka interrupted him. “Just ‘Haruka’ is fine. Or ‘Haru.’ Whatever.”

“Okay.” Makoto smiled. “Haruka. How have you been?”

Before Haruka could answer, the waitress finally appeared at the table. “Keiko” was scribbled across her name tag in blue ink. Her work uniform revealed a considerable amount of cleavage, and there were tears in her dark blue jeans.

“Can I take your drink orders?” she drawled, and blew a large, pink gum bubble.

“Oh,” Makoto said, starting to get up. He smiled apologetically. “I was just leaving.”

Haruka frowned. “You can stay.”

Makoto looked surprised. He glanced from Haruka to the waitress, and back again. “Can I?”

Haruka nodded, and Makoto sat back down. He fidgeted with the collar of his shirt. Haruka wondered why he was so anxious. Sure, they didn’t know each other very well, but Haruka was trying to be pleasant and approachable. It didn’t really come naturally to him, so maybe it wasn’t working.

“I’ll have _genmaicha_ , then,” Makoto told Keiko after a pause. Haruka ordered a glass of water with a lemon wedge.

Keiko nodded and left the table.

Makoto still looked worried. “Are you sure you want me to stay, Nanas- er, Haruka? I don’t want to bother you if you’re still not feeling well.”

“It’s fine,” Haruka insisted. “Don’t worry about it.”

Makoto started up their conversation where it had left off, once he was thoroughly convinced that he wasn’t being a nuisance.

“So, how are you feeling?”

Haruka shrugged. “I keep getting pretty bad headaches. And this cast is really itchy.”

Makoto smiled sympathetically. He was starting to look more comfortable, Haruka noted, easing his worry. Despite that, there was a somewhat awkward period where neither of them could think of anything to say. Haruka drummed his fingers on the table to break the silence.

“I saw Rin recently,” Makoto offered. “At the pool. He seemed worried about you.”

“You talked about me?” Haruka asked.

Makoto’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “A bit.”

He was way too cute when he blushed. Haruka looked away, staring pointedly at the floor, hoping that his own cheeks wouldn’t flush. Keiko came to his rescue just in time. She placed the drinks on the table and took out a notepad from her pocket.

“What would you like to order?”

Haruka went first, getting a plate of fried mackerel and a bowl of miso soup. It didn’t deviate from his usual routine, but he wasn’t in the mood to change things up. 

He took a long sip of his water and gazed across the table at Makoto. He had spent so much of his life observing, rather than interacting, that it was almost _more_ comfortable like that. He learned more about Makoto in a few minutes of watching him than he could learn from conversing for the same amount of time. For example: Makoto took great care in the way he presented himself. His shirt was creased in exactly the right places. There wasn’t the slightest bit of stubble on his chin, and every single light-brown hair on his head was exactly where it was supposed to be. 

Makoto’s voice was a bit shrill, but somehow it fit him. He spoke clearly and pleasantly. Haruka felt like he could listen to him talk for hours.

Keiko snapped her notepad shut, pulling Haruka out of his thoughts. 

“I’ll bring your food out shortly.”

Makoto took a spoonful of sugar from the container at the end of the table and poured it into his tea, stirring slowly with a wooden stirrer. He then added a second spoonful, and a third. Haruka raised his eyebrows.

Makoto noticed Haruka’s confusion and chuckled. “The way they brew tea here makes it pretty bitter. I think they add too many leaves. Some people like it, but I’m not really a fan. It tastes fine with sugar, though.”

“You come here a lot?” Haruka asked.

Makoto nodded. “I live pretty close by. About a kilometer north, right by the beach.”

Haruka felt a pang of jealousy. Near his house, the only access to the ocean was from the port and the rocky cliffs to the west.

Makoto rested his elbows on the table, smiling absentmindedly. “Where do you live, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Near the Tajiri shrine1, northwest of here,” Haruka replied. “It’s my parents’ old house. They’re living in Okayama, taking care of my grandfather.”

Makoto thought for a moment, then made a sound of realization. “I know where that is! I’ve been to the shrine, actually. It was just a few years ago. Did you grow up there?”

Haruka shook his head. “I was born here, but we moved to Okayama when I was three. My father got a job there. My parents never sold the house, so I moved back after college.”

Makoto looked genuinely curious about Haruka’s life. _That_ was a first. Most people pitied him for having such a dreary existence. 

“How did you meet Rin?” Makoto inquired.

“At nationals,” Haruka explained, “in junior high. We raced against each other, and he approached me afterwards. How about you?”

Makoto took a gulp of his tea. “We were best friends in high school. I started swimming in my first year. I could never compete with him, of course. You must be really good if he considers you a rival.”

Haruka shrugged. “I guess.”

Keiko arrived moments later with their meals. “Please enjoy,” she said with a small bow.

Haruka immediately dug into his miso. He lifted the bowl to his lips and took a long sip of the hot liquid, giving his stomach immediate relief.

Makoto had ordered tsukimi soba, which he ate carefully and neatly. There wasn’t any talking between the two men while they ate, but it didn’t particularly bother Haruka. He wasn’t fond of unnecessary chatter.

They finished their meals rather quickly. Keiko delivered them the bill just moments after Haruka drained the last of his miso, quickly whisking his and Makoto’s empty dishes away. Haruka didn’t have much cash on him, but luckily the meal was inexpensive. 

Makoto began to take out his wallet, but Haruka stopped him.

“I’ll pay,” he offered. 

Makoto shook his head. “No, no, I can pay for my share. Thank you, though.”

“You saved my life, I owe you this much,” Haruka insisted. 

Makoto was unconvinced. “I was just doing my job. You don’t owe me anything.”

Haruka finally gave in, not really in the mood to quarrel. He and Makoto split the bill in half. After Keiko came to take the check , they made their way out of the restaurant together.

They stood awkwardly by the entrance to the restaurant for a few moments. Makoto seemed distracted, tapping his foot and looking down at the ground. Haruka cleared his throat.

“I’ll see you around, then,” Haruka managed, a bit louder than he meant to.

Makoto startled, but quickly recovered and put on a grin. “Yeah, I’ll see you.”

They both seemed to have more to say. What those things were, though, Haruka had no clue. Eventually, the awkwardness became too much for him. He smiled, trying not to seem uncomfortable, and bid Makoto farewell. He turned and watched Makoto get into his hatchback before walking back to the pharmacy parking lot.

It was official. He had a problem.

A problem with Makoto.

He was too handsome, too kind, and made Haruka’s heart flutter when he smiled.

And as soon as he had arrived, rather unceremoniously, in Haruka’s life, it seemed that he was gone.

The only trace of him was the flush on Haruka’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 I used Iwami (in Tottori prefecture) as a reference for the town, since it’s the actual town that Iwatobi is based off of. Some of the locations mentioned (Tajiri shrine, for instance) are actual places in Iwami. 
> 
> Talk to me on [Tumblr](http://akiiteru.tumblr.com/).


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